Armenia in the EAEU and CSTO: the Members of the Eurasian Expert Club Discussed the Results of 2016

• 12.20.2016, 15:57
•  EEU,  Armenia

On December 17 in Yerevan annual session of the Eurasian Expert Club on the topic "Armenia in the EAEU And CSTO: experience, achievements and perspectives" took place. The experts discussed the results of Armenia’s membership in the EAEU in 2016, main tendencies, achievements and opportunities, that the EAEU gave to Armenia. The participants of the conference also spoke about the military-political cooperation in the framework of CSTO in the passing year.

The president of the Eurasian Expert Club, the Chairman of the NGO "Integration and development" Aram Safaryan sain in his speech, that this is the fourth annual session of the Club. "We know where we are moving and continue to open new opportunities of Eurasian integration process," Safaryan said. He mentioned that 2016 was a difficult year, but there were also great achievements.

The ambassador of Belarus to Armenia I. Nazaruk, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Armenia T.Urazaev, and councilor of the embassy of Russia Andrey Ivanov welcomed the members of the Club and their guests. The representatives of the embassy of China also joined the meeting. Andrey Ivanov also presented the welcoming speech of the ambassador of Russia to Armenia I.Volinkin.

T.Urazaev agreed, that the year was a difficult one, because of external economic factors. At the same time, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan mentioned, that Armenia was the most productive in its monetary policy, and especially Armenia had the biggest increase in commodity circulation in the EAEU, also with Kazakhstan. I.Nazaruk said Armenia and Belarus also increased trade, and in the mareket of Belarus one can already find Armenian goods.

In his speech the Ambassador of Russia highly valued the results of Armenian presidency in the CSTO, and a especially the importance of the adoption of the Strategy of development of CSTO up to 2025 was underlined.

Economist Ashot Tavadyan, economist Tatul Manaseryan, political scientist Khachik Galstyan, coordinator of  the Eurasian scientifical-innovative wed Ashot Karapetyan also came up with speeches.

Tatul Manaseryan presented some indexes on the results of 2016. He underlined, that instead of low pace of business activity in the EAEU, Armenia had some positive tendencies. Particularly, during last 10 months,  the speed of development of industry, service and agriculture has increased "Armenia is the only country in the EAEU, that has increased its export," Manaseryan said. "Armenia is also the country, which had the biggest increase of  the GDP".

Ashot Tavadyan underlined that 2015 was also a year of the increase of the trade, but 2016 was also a year of the overcoming the barriers. The new price of gas, removal of customs and stabilization of the national money has also played a positive role. Tavadyan also spoke about the possibility of combining the projects of Eurasian integration and the Silk Road.. "To be productive in combining the Economic belt of Silk Road with the EAEU it is necessary to coordinate and adjust the priorities of the economic policy of the EAEU, to define its objectives, formulate a new model of economy, forecast the results," Tavadyan said.

The speakers also spoke about the necessity of the projects on exposure of the potential. One of this kind of projects is Eurasian scientific-innovative web. "The main objects of the Web is the revelation of the potential, that is not yet being used and finding new ways of solving the problems, connected with integration processes in Eurasian region," the coordinator of the Web Ashot Karapetyan said. There are already 300 students from 10 universities of the EAEU countries, who are involved in this Web. The data of the EAEU countries’ potential is also collected on website to bust Eurasian and international investments.

During the conference the members of the Eurasian expert club also spoke about the presidency of Armenia in the CSTO. Summing up the results of the Yerevan summit in Yerevan on October 14, Khachik Galstyan said, that the most important for Armenia was the adoption of the announcement on Karabakh conflict. "During the presidency of Armenia the organization received a new impuls, Armenia managed to build balanced policy and at the same time to rise the issues that should be properly discussed from different points," Galstyan said.

Two new members of the Eurasian Expert Club, Mihran Hakobyan and Armen Manvelyan,  were awarded by the certificates of the membership.